What Does Clear-Com Have to Do with Biscuits?

Photo Credit: Shortbreadsouth.com

This question is in reference to Clear-Com’s legacy and newer speaker stations, such as the KB-701 and KB-702, which have the letters “KB”. The initials refer to "King Biscuit".

To most of us, a biscuit is a flaky piece of bread or roll that’s delicious and goes well with gravy. It is actually another term for speakers as well.  

According to the early Clear-Com team and Charlie Butten, one of Clear-Com's founders, the reason why Clear-Com chose KB as the initials for its speaker stations has to do with its ties to the King Biscuit Flower Hour. This was a radio show that was broadcasted every Sunday from 1973 until 2007. The program was sponsored by the King Biscuit Flour Co. and often featured new wave and rock music.

Long ago, that radio station had approached Clear-Com for a speaker station. Since many of the Clear-Com staff at that time were huge fans of their music, we decided to use the initials KB for our product.

Here is a photo of our legacy KB-100:

Photo Credit: Controlbooth.com

Video: Eclipse's Production Maestro

Production Maestro is a multi-user, multi-matrix PC based software package which provides fast, intuitive audio routing control for Clear-Com's Eclipse Intercom systems. This is an add-on module to Eclipse that enables simple and reliable routing and allows operators to control small or large networked intercom systems.

In this video, Clear-Com demonstrates Eclipse's Production Maestro at NAB2009.




You can also access our video at http://www.clearcom.com/support/videos.

Intelligent Intercom-Over-IP for International Sports Events (White Paper)

Clear-Com Eclipse Digital Matrix Intercom System was used to provide the communications for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The native IP enabled V-Series intercom panels allowed rapid communication deployment where more traditionally connected panels would otherwise have to be planned for and individually cabled.

This white paper describes how IP communication overcomes traditional problems at such types of installation venues and also discusses what to consider when deciding Intercom-Over-IP (IoIP) approach for successful and spectacular large events, making reference to specific use-cases of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

>>READ WHITE PAPER HERE

Clinical Work: Hyperbaric Medical Staff Communicates with CellCom Wireless

APPLICATION:  The nurses in the nurses’ station work area and hyperbaric chamber need to communicate with the operator and doctors that are working throughout the hospital.

PRODUCT MUST: The intercom system must enable mobility as well as clear communications throughout the hospital.

SOLUTION: The CellCom base station along with a speaker and microphone are installed in the nurses’ station. CEL-TA active transceiver antennas are mounted in the hallways and nurses’ station work area to provide coverage in the rooms throughout the hospital and the hyperbaric chamber. The operator uses the microphone and speaker from the CellCom base station to communicate with nurse attendants who are wearing CellCom wireless beltpacks and headsets. Nurses can roam outside or inside the hyperbaric chamber to speak with doctors throughout the hospital that are also wearing wireless beltpacks and headsets.



Application Diagram (Click to Enlarge.)



CellCom Base Station/Wireless Beltpacks operates in 1.9 GHz band and uses DECT to allow users to move freely without audio fading or losing communication connections.

CEL-TA active transceiver antenna supports up to five beltpacks each.

Note: CellCom^® and FreeSpeak^® are different brands representing the same digital wireless intercom system (with minor technical differences). Due to trademark limitations, CellCom and CellCom Integra (formerly CellCom50) are only available in the U.S. and Canada; and FreeSpeak and FreeSpeak Integra (formerly FreeSpeak50) are available in all countries other than the U.S. and Canada.

Welcome to Our New Office!

It's been a little over a week since our Alameda office moved in to our brand new office space! As with all moves, it was a lot of work, but we all pitched in and were able to get settled and organized in no time. Here's a little glimpse of all the goings on behind the scenes:



Look at the empty bins we get to fill!!

Packing, Packing, Packing!!

Officially Offline

Moving the Inside Sales Dept

Gotta empty the cubicles before they can get taken down

Those bins are getting full now!

Break Time! Uno anyone?

Cubicles are going.....

Going.....

GONE!

All packed and ready to go!

Once everything was packed up and ready to go, it was finally moved to our new location! Our cubicles were configured and boxes were moved to there designated areas. Now, it's time to unpack!

Cubicles Under Construction

Almost done....

Unpacking Repairs and B-Stock Areas

Our New College is Almost Complete

Cubicles Finally Unpacked

Offices Are Ready

Marketing Demo Closet is Organized

Our New Home!

Sending a big thank you to everyone that helped and pitched in over the weekend. We couldn't have done it without you! And to all of our friends and customers, we look forward to giving you the grand tour!

Treading Water in the Freelance Pool: A Day in the Life of an A-2 on a Live Sports Broadcast (Part 5)

Rom Rosenblum, A-2 Master

Whew! We made it to the last part in our series! You've learned about what to expect in a typical day as an A-2 (Part 1). You were introduced to a vast list of characters that you'll be working with (Part 2). I gave you some key tips and tricks of the trade (Part 3). Heck, I even built you your very own starter tool kit (Part 4). What else is there to know? Umm.....LOTS MORE. In this final part of the series, I'll take you through setting up the booth and actually going LIVE. So, let's follow the money to where the action is. Read on.....

Depending on what your A-1 wants, setting up your booth or announce table now would be a good idea. There seems to be a standard in our industry for the setup of the announce position. Typically, there are three announce headsets (Play-by-Play (PXP), Color, and a handy-dandy Spare), two "stick" mics (hand-held) and IFB's for these positions (IFB = Interruptable Fold Back). Most often, as we look at the field of play, the order from left to right is as follows: Statistician, PXP, Color and AD or Stage Manager. Consult your producer to make sure this is how your talent wants it set up.

Your "booth kit" may contain:

• 3 announcer headsets. Be nice and wipe off the headset ear cups of all make-up and ear grunge.
• 2 stick mics - EV 635's or RE 50's, for example.
• 2 IFB boxes to amplify the fold back (to their ear pieces) lines for the talent. Their stand-up will require Telex ear pieces. The talent may or may not have their own. It's always best to have extras, though and they blow easily.
• 3 Talkback boxes for talent headsets. These act as IFB boxes, cough boxes and also route the muted headset mic to the director and producer in the truck via a separate talkback circuit.
• 2 or more PL boxes and headsets for intercom to stage manager, statistician, PA's, etc.
• Crowd mics hung out the window. I bet you know what these are for!!!
• Cables, Y-cords, power supplies and adapters for the above.

Occasionally, you are required to set up the TV monitors and lights and other yucky video stuff. SORRY! While we're talking about the booth (or table), let's chat a moment about the talent. Most of these kids are pretty nice. They work hard before the show preparing and rehearsing and all that. They might even treat you like a human being. To some of these people, you are just a carnie that they must depend on for all things technical. They may not think twice about reaming you because they can't figure out that the volume knob makes it louder, or the ear piece won't work if it's not plugged in. However, they are the engine that drives the whole show, so BE NICE and keep them happy.

Just before we go live, we play back a pre-produced pre-show and/or teaser. These are usually recorded and packaged sometime before the show. It may include an interview on the field of play with a player, coach or owner. During pre-record time, your job is to wait around for a decision on to whom to talk to is made, changed, blown-off, changed again and finally accomplished. Remaining calm and focused is an art form. Bring a book.

So, now, we go live to air. If all goes well, now is the time to take a breather. you can hang out on the court, field, locker room or by the truck. The locker room is a good source of free food and good company, so schmooze away. Your job is to wait for stuff to break. Keep a radio on to stay in touch with the A-1. Bring him/her a coke and kick back.

What we do isn't brain surgery. Sometimes, you need to let some things slide and not pay as much attention to detail as one would like to in a more controlled environment. Someone once described live sports TV audio production as "paper plate audio". As the A-2, you are called on to be the ambassador between the truck and the house, the teams and the vendors, the players and the talent, other media representatives and a vast concoction of other people. Maintaining perspective and letting the higher-ups sweat the big stuff has kept me employed for quite some time. Enjoy it. I know I do.

Rom Rosenblum is/was a freelance A-2 and is currently an Applications Engineer for Clear-Com. He continues to freelance as a mixer for live TV sports broadcasts and has worked everything from Roller Derby to the Olympics. He admits to once upon a time playing Tom Lehrer songs on the piano for patrons of various disreputable restaurants in Texas.

Treading Water in the Freelance Pool: A Day in the Life of an A-2 on a Live Sports Broadcast (Part 4)

Rom Rosenblum, Tool Kit Savior

You may be asking yourself, "Now, what the heck do I need?". To put your mind at ease, I've created a simple starter tool package for you (you can thank me later). I am assuming that you are comfortable around tools. If not, you better get comfortable. You WILL need to use all of these sooner or later. 




A proper tool kit is too cumbersome to carry around, so here are some ideas of what you might find in my very own small bag of tricks on any given day:

• A "Greenie" or "Tweeker" - a small, flat-head screwdriver. Assorted other screwdrivers would be good to include as well.
• A Radio Shack Butane Soldering Iron - the Weller brand is much better, but is too large to fit in my pack. Keep a spare tip and extra gas handy.
• Small Vise Grips - to hold connectors during soldering. And they'll save your fingers.
• Solder - for soldering. Of course.
• Shrink Tubing - assorted thicknesses because you just never know.
• #10 Gauge Teflon Tubing - to isolate ground drains for the improperly toilet-trained among us.
• Dykes (diagonal cutters), Small Needle Nose Pliers - some like a "leatherman"-type multi-tool.
• Foam - to use for shockmounts or windscreens for microphones.
• Tape - various types, like gaffers (duct), white paper for labeling, colored paper tape for color coding, etc.
• Vinyl Electrical Tape and Plastic Bags - for water-proofing connector ends.
• Dark Sharpie Marking Pen - or a not-likely-to-leak pen or pencil. Because ink smears are hard to read.
• "Tone Bone" - an in-line tone generator. Shure Bros model A15TG or a Whirlwind Q-Box are good to use
• "Listen Box" - Radio Shack has them, or the Whirlwind Q-Box can be used as well.
• Audio Adapters, AC Ground Lifter, XLR Turnarounds (Male to Male and Female to Female)
• "Sniffer" or In-Line Voltage Checker - to test for voltage in the RTS or Clear-Com PL and IFB systems, and phantom power. Again, the Whirlwid Q-Box can do this also.
• Cable Checker - Whirlwind makes a good one.
• Telex brand earpiece - to test the IFB boxes.
• Batteries - have some 9 volt and AA batteries with some tape over the contacts so they don't short out in your bag.
• LOTS of patience. There's always enough room in your bag for this.

As this bag is going to get a bit heavy, you might want to have a small bag for the bare essentials, like the tweeker, white tape, Q-Box and a few turnarounds. Keep your bag in a strategic spot so you don't have to drag around all of this stuff when you're running around. But, this should get you started. As your career progresses, you'll learn to customize your kit to suit your own needs.

Tomorrow, we'll be ending this "day in the life" series with ideas on setting up the announce booth and finally going LIVE!

written by Rom Rosenblum, Clear-Com Applications Minke

Treading Water in the Freelance Pool: A Day in the Life of an A-2 on a Live Sports Broadcast (Part 3)

Rom Rosenblum, Cabling Genius

Hiya Kids! Now it's time to get to work. Today, we're going to dive into all the Tips and Tricks you need to do the fun, exciting, yet not so glamorous, job of being an A-2. So, listen up and read on, it's going to be one wild ride!








THINK STRIKE
Your job is to set up, test and maintain all the audio equipment that will be used for the show. Veteran A-2's will also help the A-1 with running mults that they might need in the TV compound. The first thing on the agenda is un-packing the truck. Sort things out and pay attention to where everything comes from. Our mantra is "THINK STRIKE". No, not the stop-work kind, the put-things-away kind of strike. When it comes time to re-pack the truck, you'll need to put all this junk back in its place, so stay organized. Also, it pays to know where everything is, so when your world is falling apart, you'll find what you need to save the show quickly and be the hero of the day. It's also a good idea, time permitting, to test cables and bring in extra boxes and headsets with you. This will save you a walk back to the truck when something doesn't work......and I guarantee that that WILL happen.

STAY ORGANIZED
After you pow-wow with the A-1, producer and director, you'll need to start running mults (fat cables with many...usually 12...mic cables contained within one thick one) to the various positions on the field of play and broadcast booth. Again, "THINK STRIKE". Don't run cables in such a fashion that you'll have trouble removing them. Don't get overzealous with plastic cable ties and all that, because they are a pain in the neck to remove (unless this is a permanent or semi-permanent install). For sure, mark all your cables at each end. There's nothing more frustrating than having a bunch of cables and not knowing what they're supposed to be connected to. In general, the male ends of the XLR connectors are left at the truck end, but consult your A-1 to make sure. You don't want to run a long cable only to find out that you ran it the wrong way! Get help from the utilities and camera folks to run all the cables together with theirs (if there are common runs), for all of the obvious reasons.

INVENTORY, INVENTORY, INVENTORY
Taking a quick inventory when you unpack is a good idea. No, it's a great idea. This lets you know what you started with if you come up short at the end of the gig. Sometimes, the last guy in the truck left something behind and nobody noticed. But you'll be held accountable if a count is taken after your shoot and something is missing. It's also a good idea to test cables and equipment at the truck before you drag them to the four corners of the universe, only to find out you have a bad connector or faulty box. This saves time if you have the luxury of a "cable day". Otherwise, you roll the dice and keep your portable soldering iron handy.

PLAN AHEAD
When you are going all the way to the field or booth, you want to make sure you bring what you need so you don't have to make unnecessary trips. Keep a list of what you'll need in each location and check it twice before leaving the compound. Hopefully, there's a cart of dollies on the truck that you can use. If you're lucky, maybe even a golf cart may be used to bring the heavy camera gear to the field. Or, you might have to charm the camera folks into letting you have your gear hitch a ride with theirs. Some folks bring their own little two-wheeled dolly to the gig. It's a small investment, but you might want to fork over the cash to make your life a little easier.

KEEP LISTS
The first list you should always remember to have is a phone list. Don't forget to grab the cell phone numbers for anyone at the truck that you may need to reach before all the comms are set up. The A-1, the EIC and maybe the lead utility guy are a good starting point to your phone list. The other important list you should have is the "mult list". There will probably be more than one place you'll be required to set up. A booth, the field effects mics and interview area, maybe an interview room or locker room "drops" (a mic, IFB and PL intercom), for starters. You'll get a mult list (a layout of where everything should be plugged into per your A-1 or tech manager) and  it's your responsibility to make sure everything is hooked up properly. If there are any questions, it's best to review the list before starting to get all the gear packed for the trip to their destinations. ASK FIRST. You'll save time and keep the confusion down to a minimum.

Most of all, remember that there are time honored, unwritten rules about one's place in the pecking order that must be paid attention to at all times. Take your lumps, because one day, you'll be on top of the heap!

Tomorrow, we'll talk about some good ideas for your gig tool kit.....or affectionately known as the zen of the fanny-pack!

written by Rom Rosenblum, Clear-Com Applications Minke

Treading Water in the Freelance Pool: A Day in the Life of an A-2 on a Live Sports Broadcast (Part 2)

Old School Audio Engineers

Howdy Campers! Yesterday, we looked at an overview of a remote broadcast. Today, let's take a sardonic second to outline the different positions viewed on the mobile unit truck for most sports broadcasts. Read on....





GETTING TO KNOW THE CREW

The Producer deals with sponsored elements (they PAY for all this), coordinates with master control, choreographs the pre-taped elements, makes most of the decisions about the flow of the show and keeps play-by-play talent happy and fed. He/she has the final word in all matters in and around the truck, unless the talent has a better contract with the rights holder and wants something else. Bottom line: BE INVISIBLE.

The Director "calls" the cameras to be "taken" to "air" and may scream at anyone who doesn't follow his/her spoken or telepathic commands. The good ones will keep the crew happy. Rookie directors, though, are not confident with their skills and can take it out on the crew. Bringing him/her a soda or coffee during the broadcast will go a long way in raising your stock. Because when the director is happy, then the whole crew makes out. Bottom line: GIVE 'EM A WIDE BERTH.


The TD or technical director "switches the show" by pushing buttons and faders to follow the video directions of the director. This person is responsible for the whole crew. When there is a technical or personnel problem of conflict, we let the TD know and he/she can fly it up the proper flag pole. Bottom line: BE NICE.


The Chyron Operator and Coordinator gets all the graphic stuff ready to be built into pages to be blended into the pictures (ie scores and stats). They usually require some intercom fix that will only be requested thirty seconds before "air". They work too hard and don't get out much. If there are credits at the end of a show, be nice....otherwise....well, be nice anyway. They know how to spell. Bottom line: LET THEM BE NICE TO YOU.

The AD or assistant director. This poor guy must translate the demands of the producer and director to the guy pushing buttons at master-control (a mythical place where we believe our audio and video signals are sent for transmission to the real world). They also count us all down (....ten to us....9...8...7... etc.). Bottom line: LEAVE THEM ALONE.

The Stage Manager is a wrangler of the talent and keeps the play-by-play table and the set in tidy order. They usually have limited or no technical knowledge. So, be prepared if they ask you a ton of questions. Bottom line: KEEP AN EYE ON THEM.

The Tape Ops record and play back the game. If there is a "money reel", the commercials are on it and are rolled from the truck. The slo-mo replays are coordinated by the producer and called for by the director. Usually there is a "lead tape op" who calls the shots in the tape room. In the old days of 1-inch open reel tape, these guys/gals would actually roll the tape reels by hand for the slo-mo effect. Now, they use controllers with throttle-like handles. They aren't even "tape" machines anymore, but rather hard drive recording devices. Most tape-ops don't expect much help loading and unloading the truck, but they run a fun place to hang out during the show. Bottom line: BE NICE AND USE PROTECTION.

The EIC or engineer in charge is sort of the captain of the ship. Once call the "Truck Mother", he/she goes with the truck and is responsible for all aboard - people, parts and equipment. These folks are there to fix broken stuff and to whine to, in general. Most are good sleepers, but I'll try not to generalize. They're smart and overworked. These fine folks are the ones who will direct you to all the gear and cables you'll need in the truck. Bottom line: WAKE THEM GENTLY.

The Truck Driver is on the road with the truck at all times. He/she knows where all the stuff is hidden and even can help with site-related problems, such as where to find a house dolly, find the person with the keys to the booth or any other such place you might need entry. Bottom line: A VALUABLE RESOURCE, BE VERY NICE.

The Video Shader is responsible for how the picture looks. He/she remotely activates filters and iris and electronic tweakage to adjust the cameras. They are a strange collection of pocket protectors and computer nerds. Bottom line: IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR PC, BE NICE.

The Camera Operators are the lead guitar players of the broadcast band. They are ego-driven carnies that get grumpy if they don't have lunch. If you need help with a microphone on a camera, don't complicate their lives. Bottom line: KEEP CLEAR.

The A-1 or Mixer, ie your boss. The mixer is responsible for everything audio. This means phones, PL intercom, transmission, audio from the network (back-haul), music from many sources, sound from videotape playback, audio to simulcasts, house interface, talent IFB, telephones in and around the truck and so on. Be gentle and remember they have a lot of stuff to do all at once, so if they seem testy, cut them some slack. It ain't no fun in the big chair! They are happiest if they never leave the truck. This, of course, means that all errands must be run by yours truly, unless you can find someone even lower on the food chain than you. Bottom line: DO WHATEVER THEY SAY, YOUR CAREER DEPENDS ON IT.

The Utilities are a bit lower in the food chain of command. These poor souls schlep the gear and pull cables for the matador-like camera operators. They'll want to impress you with a long list of very important gigs that they've worked on recently. Be wary of any responsibilities you pass on to them because they may not complete the task at hand in the way you need them to. Remember, you're ultimately the one responsible - whether they do it or you do it. Bottom line: BE NON-COMMITALLY NICE.

The PAs or production assistants do what their told by their own boss. Bottom line: IGNORE THEM.

Ok, so let's review what we've learned so far. First, we get coffee ans schmooze and scope out where we'll spend time during the lulls in the show. Then, we need to check with the A-1 and producer to see what we'll need for the show and get access to the field/court and press box where the announce booth with be located. Getting on the producer's good side now would be wise because you never know what kind of "swag" (ie freebies like hats, t-shirts, jackets or tickets) are available on a limited basis. After you stow your giveaways in a safe place, the A-1 will let you know what mult assignments will be used. Run the marked mults now if you can find a free utility or two. Then find the milk crates (the ones that are NOT supposed to be taken from 7-11) and fill one or two with the gear you'll need and find a way to get them to where you need them to be. Ask the EIC where all the cable and equipment is needed. A good working relationship between you and the EIC will smooth the way for a good show, so remember......wake them very gently.

Up next: Tips and tricks to make your day go smoothly.

written by Rom Rosenblum, Clear-Com Applications Minke

Rock Music was an Acquired Taste, Even for Charlie Butten

Photo Credit: Thisnext.com

Rock and roll drew its inspiration from the blues and country music as well as jazz and classical music. Rock music became widely popular starting in the 1960s, which led to the development of sub-genres in the decades to come, including heavy metal and punk rock. Although Charlie Butten, one of early founding members of Clear-Com, is a sound engineering genius, he actually had to acquire his taste for rock music –the same way one acquires a taste for coffee or olives.

In the mid 1970s, Charlie was working at Don Wehr’s Music City, which fixed instruments and amplifiers for rock bands in San Francisco’s North Beach. Although he was very skilled in repairing guitars, he was unfamiliar with rock music itself.

One day, an English rock band called Cream was visiting and they needed someone to convert their amplifiers to American power. For the next two weeks, Charlie was assigned to get that job done, which he did with such excellence that he was offered an opportunity to be their sound expert. This was his first extensive exposure to rock music and he began to start liking it.

Source

Passman, Arnie. “Such Sweet Thunder: Charlie Butten and his Earthy Sound System.” Rolling Stone. 1971. Mature Musician. 16 August 2011 http://www.maturemusician.com/rw-article03.html.

Treading Water in the Freelance Pool: A Day in the Life of an A-2 on a Live Sports Broadcast (Part 1)

The Great Rom Rosenblum, himself

Depending on your perspective, the position of an A-2 (the guy/gal who helps the A-1 or the chief Audio Operator with setting up and maintaining all the audio gear on a show) is either a cool, low pressure gig, or else it's near the bottom of the food chain in the crew pecking order of a remote TV personnel roster. Sports broadcasting is one of the last on-going forms of live TV left and in my opinion, the position of an A-2 is the best job in the gig! If you keep in mind that you are just a small cog in a wheel of madness, you'll do well. This week, we will be posting a 5-part series of "a day in the life" featuring some useful tips to give you your own perspective to kick around. For most of the uninitiated, a day's work in live remote TV can seem both vaguely familiar and/or otherworldly. So, let's start the walk through a day in the life of an A-2 at a live sporting event. Read on....

CARPAE per DIEM, or Seize the Check!

Jeeez, it's early. No matter how long I do this, it never ceases to amaze me how early on a weekend morning we need to get to work. "O-dark-thirty" just doesn't seem natural for a debonair guy like me to suffer consciousness! Oh well, rock and roll isn't pretty.....and neither is TV.

First off, it's time to get coffee (but only if this is a network gig and there's catering) and get reacquainted with your crew. Every time you show up, there are different folks to work with and familiar faces to get to know all over again. This time honored ritual is an essential part of the formula that defines the food chain that keeps our business going. The more time you've got in (seniority, experience, etc.), the more friends you have in far off places. And the more catching up you need to do! The prestigious gigs (network, major events, etc.) require that even more time must be factored in for this sacred ceremony. Big budget shows require a larger compliment of crew and equipment and can tolerate a fair amount of lag-time to get set up. A local broadcast might need a few hours to set up, but a full-blown network show often requires at least a whole set-day. Therefore, the better the pay, the longer the stay! Or, the bigger the broadcast (regional network or better) the more (pay) days you can count on to set up and get organized. That's not to say that a "set-shoot-strike" (set it up, shoot the show and tear it down all in one day) may not be as sophisticated as a "big" show. And in today's world, they are often MORE sophisticated.

If you're a "new" guy/gal, you might use this time to look around for a unit manager type to find out your duties and to whom you need to report, or, more importantly.....who you need to schmooze to get more work. This despicable act is necessary for both the career of the new guy/gal and to easily mark him/her as such for future harassment! This razzing is a time honored and valuable part of the learning curve of the newbie and must be endured and overcome as any rite of passage in the real world. (We'll have more on this later.) Most likely, you've already met the A-1 or mixer. If you don't already know him/her or have never worked together, now would be a good time to snuggle up, because the next 12 hours of your miserable life are in his/her hands!

In Part 2, we'll have a sarcastic look at the crew and get familiar with the different folks you'll be working with. Then, on following parts, it'll be on to some tips and tricks, the tools of the trade and finally a peek at the talent booth and GOING LIVE!

written by Rom Rosenblum, Clear-Com Applications Minke

Clinical Work: Multiple Rooms Connect with Matrix and Wireless

APPLICATION: Three doctors are in the central room where there is a large video screen showing the video feeds from 12 rooms. Each doctor needs a user control panel that is programmed to connect with the beltpacks that will be placed in each room. The doctor needs to communicate advice and instructions to the nurses or technicians using wireless beltpacks in those rooms.

PRODUCT MUST: The digital matrix system must effectively interconnect all 12 rooms with the central room where the doctors are. There must be a large zone of coverage so that wireless beltpacks can be used in all critical areas.

SOLUTION: Three V-Series panels are installed in the central room. Four CEL-TA active transceiver antennas are set up in the hallways to provide coverage to the 12 rooms. When the doctors need to communicate with the nurses or technicians, they will signal the flasher in one of the rooms to go off. This catches the attention of the nurses or technicians and prompts them to grab a beltpack to receive further instruction from the doctor.

Application Diagram (Click to Enlarge.)

Clear-Com Eclipse-Median can support up to 112 ports in a 6RU digital matrix frame. This system is ideal for critical communications among teams that need direct and group connections.

Clear-Com E-Que Card is a wireless cell controller card that seamlessly connects the Eclipse with CellCom/FreeSpeak Integra for digital wireless communications.

V-Series Control Panels are 12 or 24-key IP-enabled user control panels

CellCom Wireless Beltpacks operate in 1.9 GHz band and uses DECT to allow users to move freely without audio fading or losing communication connections.

CEL-TA Active Transceiver Antenna supports up to five beltpacks each.

The Early Days of Charlie Butten



Photo Credit: Usitt.org

 Who: Charlie Butten (He is one of the early founding members of Clear-Com.)

Place of Birth: Storrington, Connecticut

Place He was Raised: Canaan, New York (He moved there when he was five.)

Best Childhood Friends: Doug Hall and Derek Van Loan

Memorable High School Moment: He and his friends would build howitzers at a local blacksmith shop.

First Job after Graduation: He worked at Paul’s Radio Shop in Chatham, New York as well as the Audio-Visual Division of the New York State Department of Education and Q&Q Electronics Supply.

Source

Passman, Arnie. “Such Sweet Thunder: Charlie Butten and his Earthy Sound System.” Rolling Stone. 1971. Mature Musician. 9 August 2011 http://www.maturemusician.com/rw-article03.html.

Friday Fun: Meet Sales and Marketing

Happy Friday from the Global Sales and Marketing Team at Clear-Com!

1st Row: Pat Hamp, Jennifer Cassidy, Carmen Rivera, Christina Bartolome

2nd Row: Ahmed Magd, Edmund Song, Dan Muchmore, Judy Giddings, Jeffrey Wu

3rd Row: Corey Frasure, James Schaller, Jaz Wray, Terry Skelton, Lana Zumerov

4th Row: Stephen Sandford, John Kowalski, Jay Wallace, Michael Rucker, Mike Hughes, Amber Burke

5th Row: Vincent Beek, Vinnie Macri, Peter Giddings, Bob Boster

Who Built Eric Clapton’s equipment?



Photo Credit: EricClapton.com



Eric Clapton is one of the most influential guitarists of all time and the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

So who built Clapton’s equipment?

The answer is Charlie Butten! He's one of the founding team members of Clear-Com and he had designed, engineered, and assembled Eric Clapton's equipment.

In Mature Musician, Jack Fronk, a guitarist that worked with Clapton, informs others about Charlie’s impressive work, “That equipment got bigger and bigger and bigger, to the point where we built a club out in the Mission called Rock Garden. The stage was a fifteen foot bass speaker, with coils that actually blasted right out onto the dance floor. We had towers of amplifiers, and when we played concerts that were out of doors, you could hear that band clean across the city. But that was all custom built stuff.”  

Source

Fronk, Jack. “The MM Interview with Jack Fronk.” Mature Musician. 2006. http://www.maturemusician.com/interview-jackfronk.html